FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° and first executive vice-president Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz were given a full briefing on the Madrid 2020 bid

Lausanne, Switzerland, November 7, 2012 – A delegation from the Olympic Bid of Madrid 2020 and the Spanish Volleyball Federation (RFEVB) met FIVB President Dr. Ary S. Graça F° in Lausanne on Wednesday to present their proposals for volleyball and beach volleyball venues should Madrid win the competition to host the 2020 Games.

President Graça and FIVB 1st executive vice-president Cristóbal Marte Hoffiz were given a full briefing by the delegation - which included former Spanish volleyball star Rafael Pascual, who is a sports coordinator for Madrid 2020, RFEVB president Agustin Martin Santos and FIVB Beach Volleyball Commission member Miguel Quintana - on the volleyball and beach volleyball infrastructure options for Madrid 2020, including the plan to build a 12,000-seat temporary beach volleyball stadium in the city’s historic Retiro Park.

The park, located in the centre of Madrid close to the Prado Museum, is already a popular area for Madrid’s residents to jog, bike, and play tennis or football. But the proposed stadium would be built in the centre of the park’s artificial lake, normally home to paddleboats.

The proposed venue for volleyball matches would be the Palacio de los Deportes de Madrid, located in the city’s central hotel district where a large part of Madrid’s foreign guests are likely to stay. It is not far from Retiro Park, and is also close to the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, the Prado Museum, the National Library, and major shopping areas. The 15,000-seat venue is the main pavilion for sports celebrations and shows in central Madrid.